When you pick up a project car, you are doing a lot more
than just acquiring a vehicle to build – you’re embarking on a journey.
And over the course of that journey you’ll often meet fellow enthusiasts who
will give you advice, leads on parts, and eventually become close friends.
Some types of cars seem to have this community element more than others – and the Toyota AE86 has to be near the top of the list when it comes to the sheer camaraderie that surrounds the model.
It’s that community feeling that Mickey Andrade, the builder
of this Corolla, loves most about his 86 experience. Mickey has been
around the American drift scene since its earliest days, and he was initially
attracted to the AE86 after watching people like Taka Aono, John Rusakoff and
Darren McNamara drive their Corollas to glory.
Finally in 2011, Mickey acquired an AE86 of his own –
although he did it more out of a necessity than anything else. The truck he’d
been driving every day was rear-ended and he needed a cheap daily to get around
in while the pickup was being repaired.
The car he bought was not the iconic Corolla GT-S, but the
more basic SR5 model. Even so, the price was just 800 bucks, and considering
the car’s extremely good condition, Mickey knew he’d scored a great deal on a
model that’s become increasingly harder to find.
While he might have had ideas of keeping the car as a simple
commuter, Mickey soon found himself moving deeper and deeper into the AE86
cult. Like many SR5 owners, he started to plan out a GT-S conversion.
With the help of his friend and 86 legend Taka Aono,
Mickey’s Corolla soon underwent a GT-S conversion – which included a twin cam
4A-GE motor swap, a stronger rear end, fuel tank and installation of every
other part that came standard on the GT-S. Having friends like Taka and John
Rusakoff certainly helped when it came to sourcing parts, as both had garages
packed full of spare AE86 stuff.
With the GT-S conversion complete and a twin cam heart now
beating beneath the Corolla’s hood, Mickey set out for some local track days to
wind the car out. While it was great fun in the corners, he still found the 86
lacking in power. As he describes it, he felt a bit like Fred Flinstone out
there with the stock 1,600cc engine.
CHAPTER TWO
- Enter VTEC -
He soon began thinking of ways he could get more power from
the car without having to go too extreme. He could have built the 16-valve
4A-GE or retrofitted a 20-valve version, but in the end he decided to
go in a completely different direction. John Russakoff had a lot of experience
swapping Honda F20C motors into the AE86 chassis, and he told Mickey that the
S2000 swap might be just what he was looking for. Not only would the Honda
engine give the 86 a significant power increase, it would do so without
sacrificing reliability.
Just as importantly, while the F20C came from different
manufacturer, the high-winding naturally aspirated motor was similar in spirit
to the original 4A-GE – only with a lot more power on tap. The VTEC
swap was the way to go, and soon Mickey was on the hunt for a suitable donor
engine. As it turned out, John came across a salvaged S2000 for sale that both
he and Mickey would be able to use. John was looking for a donor chassis
for a drift car build, so he and Mickey bought the car, with Mickey putting
dibs on the engine, trans and wiring, while John would take the rolling shell.
In 2013, Mickey rolled the Corolla into John’s shop,
JSP Fab in San Diego, where the car went under the knife for its F20C
conversion. Great care was taken to make sure everything looked as OEM as
possible, and the only real change from the factory S2000 setup is the
JSP Fab turn-down exhaust system. The motor might be stock, but what’s not
to like about big power, a high redline and legendary Honda reliability? I’m
not sure what the Toyota purists will think about the ‘Toyota 1600′
badging on top of the car’s Honda 2.0-liter motor – but I love it. You
can’t help but smile when you see it.
With the increased power that the car was making, a lot of
suspension and chassis work was needed. The setup now includes adjustable
coilovers in both the front and rear, JSP Fab lower control arms and a
number of upgrades from the AE86 specialists at T3. The brakes meanwhile use
Project Mu parts all around, and an ASD hydraulic e-brake has been added for
sideways occasions.
While Mickey did the swap largely because he wanted more
power at track days, the car was still built primarily for street use. So
rather than going the stripped-out track car route, great care was taken to
make the interior and exterior as refined as possible.
FINAL CHAPTER
- Goodbye (For Now) -
While Californians are blessed with a climate that makes
rust almost a non-issue, one thing we do have to deal with are
sunbaked interiors. While Mickey’s Corolla was in great shape for its age, the
trim had seen better days, so he got in touch with Canadian AE86
enthusiast Pat Cyr who just happened to come across an absolutely mint
Canadian-spec GT-S interior.
Pat put all the interior pieces on a pallet and shipped it
to California, and despite the fact that customs fees ended up being much more
than Mickey anticipated, the interior renovation with its uncracked black
dashboard made a huge difference – especially when combined with
other additions like the Recaro seats and Sparco Champion steering wheel.
As for the exterior, Mickey slowly evolved the car’s look
over the years, eventually settling on a style that combines original JDM parts
and a number of aftermarket components. De-textured JDM bumpers can be found in
both the front and rear, along with Shine Auto sideskirts and a MCNSport rear
diffuser.
You’ll also notice the D-Max wide fenders, which add the
right amount of attitude without detracting from the iconic look that drew
Mickey to the AE86 coupe in the first place. And to set everything off, the
whole car was treated to a few coats of Lexus Starfire White Pearl with a satin
clear finish by Creations ‘n Chrome.
There aren’t a whole lot of AE86s out there running around
on HRE wheels, but the custom-built C103s on this car manage to look both
unique and natural at the same time. They measure 16×9-inch in the front and
16×10.5-inch in the rear with Falken Azenis tires all around.
For as satisfying as Mickey’s experience building and
driving this Corolla was, you might be surprised to hear that he recently sold
the car. Recently he hasn’t had a whole lot of time to drive it, and with a few
other projects on the go he decided the Corolla was better off in the
hands of someone who could enjoy to its fullest.
While Mickey says he’s considering buying a pre-1975 project
car next so he can avoid California’s tough smog laws, he says he’ll never
forget what it was like be part of the AE86 community. He hasn’t ruled out
buying another 86 in the future either, and he even told the new owner to let
him know first should he ever decide to sell it.
I guess great cars just have a way of doing that to you.
S2000-Powered 1987 Toyota AE86 Corolla
Engine
Honda S2000 F20C complete conversion by JSPFab with OEM appearance, JSPFab
turn-down exhaust
Driveline
Honda S2000 6-speed transmisison, Exedy clutch, custom driveshaft, Celica Supra
rear end conversion with KAAZ differential
Suspension/Brakes
BC front coilovers with camber plates and RCA, MCNSport rear coilovers,
front lower control arms by JSP Fab, T3 tension control arms, T3
panhard/lateral rod, T3 four-link, manual rack conversion with Battle
Garage spacers, Project Mu rotors, pads & stainless steel brake lines,
ASD hydraulic e-Brake in stock location with stainless steel lines, Wilwood
master cylinder
Wheels/Tires
Custom HRE Wheels C103 with titanium hardware 16×9-inch -10 (front) 16×10.5-inch
-25 (rear)
Exterior
Lexus Starfire Pearl White paint with satin clearcoat by Creations ‘n
Chrome, JDM bumpers de-textured & painted, FRP zenki lip for kouki bumper,
Seibon carbon fiber vented hood, D-Max 40mm overfenders, Goodline style
FRP sideskirts by Shine Auto, MCNSport rear under diffuser, JDM Raybrig sealed
beam conversion headlights with HIDs, JDM kouki Trueno taillights,
JDM front bumper lights, JSP Fab tow hook, OEM GT-S door decals, New OEM
reproduction Corolla & GT-S trunk decals, OEM trunk spoiler de-textured
& painted
Interior
Black Canadian Corolla GT-S interior, S2000 gauge cluster, Recaro SPG drivers
seat with Nagisa Auto ultra-low sliding rails, Recaro Millennium Limited
Edition adjustable passenger seat on custom JSP Fab rails, Sparco Champion
350mm deep-dish leather perforated steering wheel, Sparco Zero Play racing
quick release, Momo steering hub, T3 75mm hub extender, custom shifter, T3
delrin shift knob, carbon fiber shifter plate, Kenwood head unit and upgraded
Alpine/Pioneer interior speakers
